Remember that never-ending spinning top in Chris Nolan’s 2010 movie Inception? Since then, we’ve been kind of obsessed with spinning tops that can keep on spinning long past what seems a reasonable length of time. The latest entry in this growing category of top is a new spinning desk toy called Mozmocoin. More closely resembling a coin than a traditional top (hence the name), it not only promises to spin for well over 10 minutes at a time, but also to throw out some mind-bending optical illusions while it’s busy rotating. In other words, it could be the most perfect desk toy distraction since the massively popular Fidget Cube!
“It’s made out of three beautiful metals: Copper, brass, and stainless steel, with a spiral-shaped groove along the top surface,” creator Kristoph Krisjans told Digital Trends. “It creates an amusing visual effect when spun, which looks like never-ending ripples spreading out over it and breaking on the edge.”
The impressively long spinning times is due to the flat body and low-gravity center of the Mozmocoin. Its grade five tungsten carbide tip also means a lower level of friction with the surface it spins on, and therefore longer rotation times. Krisjans says his personal record for a spin is 14 minutes and 40 seconds, although this was not captured on camera. However, a 13-minute and 36-second effort was recorded and is viewable here.
“As a designer, I started creating optical illusion desk toys already couple years ago,” Krisjans said. “In my opinion, the physics behind kinetic objects are remarkable. To see how still shapes becomes alive with a single spin is simply mesmerizing. With the Mezmocoin, my goal was to implement the same optical illusion effect into a size convenient enough to easily carry around and keep in your pocket.”
As ever, we offer warnings about the risks inherent in crowdfunding campaigns, which potential backers should be aware of. In Krisjans’ favor is the fact that he has previously successfully completed several previous campaigns, indicating a proven track record for delivery.
If you do want to get involved, head over to Mozmocoin’s Kickstarter page, where pledges start at $19 for a spinning top in your choice of brass, copper, and stainless steel. It will also ship in its own leather sleeve. It is due to ship in September.
